Pandora's box
by AnnaIsAnnaBackwards
Summary: When Team Natsu bring a mysterious box back to the guild, they find it can only be opened after five guild members have relived the moment in their lives when they were in the most pain. Who will be up for the challenge? And is the pain worth the reward? (Set after Oracion Seis arc)
1. Reward

Lucy was dragging her heavy feet step by step in front of her, staring into the back of her partner's head, who was chatting happily to their flying companion. It wasn't fair she had to walk all the way back home from the job just because he'd barf on the train. 'Let him suffer!' She thought vindictively. She knew the sun baring down on her exposed shoulders was making her irritable and curt. She knew Natsu and Happy didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of her annoyance, but if they had to walk home she just wanted to do it in companionable silence. Not with those two talking as much as they were!

"Maybe there's a fish inside!"

"No! I bet it's a bomb!"

"What kind of reward would that be, Natsu?"

"A surprise one!"

Lucy sighed as her friends continued to guess what was in the box Natsu was currently carrying. Lucy giggled as he shook the box and looked on every side for a button to detonate 'the bomb'. His curiosity was understandable, Lucy was feeling it too. It wasn't unusual for mages to be given an extra relic or item by their client if they'd completed the job well, but often the client knew more about what they were giving away. Lucy remembered the client's words describing their extra reward:

"I don't know what it is per say, but the box has been passed through our family for generations. We think it has magical properties, but we can't read the text. We had an expert come and value it and he said it's certainly an artefact of magical significance. We think it'll be of more use to you mages, who might actually be able to uncover it's use."

The client had been a kind, smiling old man with many grandchildren. He'd made them an adventure playground with his riches that backed into the nearby forest and he wanted to check the forest was ridded of any animals that could do his grandchildren harm. Natsu Lucy and happy had taken the job and completed it well (Natsu hadn't burnt down any of the forest, miraculously) and 3,000 Jewel had been their reward along with this enigmatic box.

Turning her attention back to her guildmates Lucy saw Natsu and happy tugging the box away from each other possessively.

"Stop fighting you two!" She commanded. "We'll find out soon enough what's in the box when we get back to the guild. Then Levy will translate the hieroglyphs and tell us how it opens." Lucy had no doubt in her best-friend's abilities, Levy would open it for sure! Lucy personally hoped there'd be jewels inside, she was dangerously close to missing this month's rent and her landlady was all kinds of scary.

"Yeah! We should hurry back to the guild to see everyone!" Natsu announced cheerfully, earning an 'Aye' from Happy in agreement. "And me and Wendy want to catch Gajeel before he goes out on another job." Natsu said.

"Why do you need to see Gajeel?" Lucy asked, puzzled. Whatever Natsu was planning probably wouldn't be well received by the iron dragon slayer, he didn't have much time for anybody.

"We've got a lead on a dragon sighting, we thought we'd invite him along to check it out." Natsu said smiling. He didn't see Lucy's obvious scepticism.

"I thought he didn't want to find his dragon, though." Lucy pointed out reasonably.

"He's joking about that! Deep down he wants to know where the dragons went. Metalicanna raised him, he's gotta want to see him again." Natsu reasoned.

Lucy kept it to herself, but she'd never known Gajeel to joke and she was pretty sure, Natsu hadn't either. She had to concede though it was hard to believe Gajeel had no interest in finding the dragons, when it meant so much to Wendy and Natsu, surely, he'd be just a little bit curious about where Metalicanna had gone. Lucy knew how powerful curiosity could be after all. Even now she was still thinking about what could be inside the gifted box.

 **AN: Welcome to the story, there's much more to come! Rate and Review 3**


	2. Difference Of Opinion

**Chapter 2:**

Levy was staring intently at the list of flowing symbols in front of her. Her gale force glasses were perched cutely on her nose, allowing her to read from the reference book at hyper speed. Her mind working at a mile a minute, she managed to retreat into herself while formulating a translation for what she was reading. So caught up in her work, she could ignore the noises around her. A good thing too, as Jet currently stood, a megaphone poised in front of his mouth, and Droy was stationed loyally beside him with a percussion drum. "Go, Levy, Go!" The cheered in unison, to her left.

And to her right, unbeknownst to her this conversation was taking place:

"I couldn't care less what's in the damn box, I still ain't going." Gajeel's voice rumbled, "and it's a cheap trick to try and bribe somebody with something when you don't even know what it is, Salamander." This was a fair argument, and had she heard it Levy would certainly have been on Gajeel's side of the discussion because of it. Lucy wasn't however. Despite being as rational as Levy and seeing the reason in Gajeel's point, she still felt inclined to support her team mate Natsu first.

"But the client said it was an important relic, it's probably worth a lot of Jewels." Lucy reasoned, on Natsu's behalf- who'd promised Gajeel a hefty percentage of the box's worth if, in return, Gajeel would join he and Wendy on their dragon hunt.

"Don't give a shit if it's a king's ransom." Gajeel reiterated. "No money in the world is going to make that search less of a waste of time."

Natsu, who was sat cross-legged on the bar top, burst out into laughter at this statement, surprising a jittery Wendy who was sat on one of the stools. Wendy's nerves were fried due to being new to such a rambunctious guild as Fairy Tail, and being a witness to one of the guild member's growing anger. She still knew very little of Gajeel- just that he was a dragon slayer like her, and unlike her he was scary. Though Natsu, who was currently laughing his head off, hardly seemed afraid.

"The hell is so funny, Salamander?" Gajeel growled through his gritted teeth.

"You are, Metalhead! This act of yours is funny!" Natsu declared standing up on the counter, clenching his fists victoriously. "I don't for a second believe you've given up searching for your dragon! I know I never will- Igneel's my goal. I'm going to find him no matter what."

Bravely, Wendy stood from her stool and squeaked out like a little bird- "I want to see Grandeeney again too."

"Aye" Happy agreed, next to a nodding Carla. Seeing all of these influences encouraged Natsu to continue with his train of thought.

"We know you want to see Metalicanna too." Natsu claimed, eyes closed in confidence, so he didn't see Gajeel pause mid-turn and prickle at the statement. Natsu continued, reasoning. "He raised you, which makes him like a parent."

Suddenly Gajeel was up in Natsu's face, fist in his shirt pulling him towards him. There was an ugly look in Gajeel's eyes now, reminiscent of Phantom. The shift in his demeaner, from frustrated to serious, changed the very atmosphere amongst the dragon slayers and caused the other guild members to divert their attention towards the scene. It was so tense, even Levy was ripped from her work to look at the pair of elder dragon slayers staring one another down. The spectators heard Gajeel warn Natsu, in a hushed, dangerous tone:

"Stop projecting your life onto mine. You never met Metalicanna, you don't know that he's anything like your dragon. If I based every dragon that's ever lived on the one that I knew, like you do, I could say with confidence that you're never going to find Igneel, because he doesn't want to be found, because he doesn't care about you."

Natsu grew defiant as he pushed a silently seething Gajeel away. "Don't talk about my Dad that way!"

Now it was Gajeel's turn to Laugh. "Dad? Gihi, yeah right." Gajeel said, brushing the comment off, walking away.

Seeing that Natsu was going to respond and cause the situation to escalate, Lucy intervened. Thankfully too, as no-one else was going to- the other spectators having lost interest, including Levy who was continuing with her translation work.

"Perhaps, it's best if just you and Wendy follow up on the lead on the dragon, Natsu. It can be your personal welcome to the guild for Wendy- two dragon slayers going out on a trial quest- it'll be fun." Lucy suggested, cleverly diffusing the situation.

"That might be fun!" Wendy agreed. Wonderment evident in her tone stressed her sincerity- meaning Natsu couldn't feel angry for long. He'd started to come around to this revised plan even though he'd originally wanted all the guild's dragon slayers to team up together.

"Plus, you won't have to give away the box's reward to Gajeel then, and we can keep it to ourselves." Lucy reasoned, still, as always, thinking about her rent money.

"I know what that reward is by the way." Levy announced, taking off her gale force glasses and shutting her book of reference.

"Already?! You finished the translation that quickly?" Lucy asked, astounded. She'd had faith that her friend would be able to translate the engraving on the box's ornate design, but she'd not realised she'd be that capable! Levy really was a linguistic prodigy- but of course, every member of Fairy Tail always aspired to be the best they could be!

"You know what the reward is?" Natsu asked Levy eagerly, having perked right up at the news.

Levy's expression became serious however. "Yes." She admitted. "But I also know the cost…"

 **AN: Sorry to leave you on a cliff-hanger. The details of how the box works are to come in the next chapter, along with appearances from the rest of Team Natsu. Also, I forgot the disclaimer initially but, I don't own Fairy Tail. This chapter is dedicated to willowmoon88 who reviewed the last chapter. Thank you, Reviews make me happier than you know. 3**


	3. Mythos

As Levy started, the guild grew strangely quiet, its members meandering steadily closer and closer to where she was poised, to listen to her explanation intently.

Levy held the box firmly in her hands but let her fingers ghost over the engraved symbols lightly, like it was something precious to her- something deeply meaningful. "The writing's archaic but I was able to uncover a whole mythology that's written here." She started.

"From what I can gather, A time-mage named 'Pandora' made this box. She'd lost the one she loved in an attack by dragons." Levy paused and saw flashes of regret pass across Natsu and Wendy's faces. "She was overwhelmed by sorrow." The guild became sombre, hearing this.

"She wanted to know that her sadness would alleviate with the passage of time. So, she constructed a device that would, take her memories of heartbreak and pain and, through magic, would convert them into fuel, for an immersive experience of what awaited her in the future. She says the box filled her with hope." Levy concluded with a sort of sad smile.

"And this is that box?" Lucy asked in awe.

"Yes," Levy confirmed, pointing at the relevant writing on the artefact. "Supposedly, Pandora sealed the magic away, once she became content again. But the passage here is riddled with warnings about accessing the magic within. It claims, that to earn a single view into one's future happiness, they first have to experience five painful memories in a shockingly realistic, sensory simulation. You'll have to relive your worst nightmares just to get a peak into one of your dreams becoming a reality."

The crowd seemed to process this information and murmured amongst themselves. So caught up in talking about the potential of this new device, they didn't see Erza and Gray walk through the guild's main doors, returning from their mission. The pair were confused to see their guildmates not spread about like normal, but instead all concentrated around one table (bar only Gajeel who sat aside, seemingly disinterested). The conversation died down when, with an epiphanous tone, Natsu loudly asked Levy:

"Wait, did you say, you could see your dreams becoming a reality?"

Levy nodded, a little confused as to Natsu's train of thought.

"I can find out if I'll ever see Igneel again!" Natsu declared, "That's gotta be the happiest thing that can happen in my future!"

"But Natsu, remember what Levy said- you'd have to be in a lot of pain before you can see into the future- we don't want that for you." Lucy said worriedly, placing a hand on Natsu's upper arm. Erza saw this small gesture past the excited crowd's heads, as she and Gray walked closer, yet to be spotted.

"I don't care," Natsu announced, feelingly. "If it means I get to see Igneel again, it's worth all the pain in the world!"

"Yeah right. That ain't gonna be what you see, Salamander, because Igneel ain't nowhere in your future."Gajeel announced irritably across the hall, letting on that he'd been using his heightened hearing to listen in on Levy's description and Natsu's response.

An angered Natsu started to stalk towards were Gajeel sat, saying, "Shut up! You don't know anything."

Seeing, as the rest of the guild did, that Natsu was about to start a fight, Erza deviated from her course, to intercept Natsu's warpath towards the other seated dragonslayer, who was staring him down defiantly. Surprised that she was back, Natsu said nothing to Erza, Lucy instead beating him to it.

"Erza, Gray! When did you two get back?"

"Just now." Gray explained, showing he and Erza were unaware as to what was happening. "So, does someone want to explain why there's such a commotion?"

Lucy did so, concisely expressing the key points of Levy's description of the box's operations and Natsu's desire to use them in hopes of seeing Igneel. She also expressed her own hesitance for Natsu to pursue this idea, stressing the repeated pain he'd have to go through because of it.

Erza listened diligently to the facts as Lucy presented them to her and, then judged, "Lucy's right, it's far too dangerous to allow Natsu to use this box when it could cause so much harm to his senses. There is always a heavy toll to pay when a lost magic art, such as time-magic, is used."

Natsu looked anguished, and ready to protest, before Erza added:

"Which is why your nakama will help you pay that toll. Four of us will volunteer to feel this pain alongside you, so that you may see your father again."

Natsu's features softened at the remark, genuinely touched. "Thank you." He said. "but- who?"

A brief pause percolated in the room, an awkward silence, and then, as if on cue- the crowd around levy's table dispersed. Everyone was suddenly very interested in being anywhere but near Natsu.

Watching their retreating forms and hearing their mumbled excuses and awkward coughs, Natsu shouted: "You bastards! I'm gonna remember this when you need _my_ help, you jerks!"

 **A/N: Shout out to silima-bean who reviewed the last two chapters- your reviews made me happy- hope this chapter had a similar effect for you (:**


	4. Any Volunteers?

And thus began a test for Natsu, to scour the guild hall, for people willing to help him unlock Pandora's box. At this point he'd already lapped the guild hall shouting out a general plea for help, which got no response. Now he was going to try a more targeted approach: going up to people directly and demanding they help him.

Being back near Levy's work station, she was one of the first he asked.

"I want to help you Natsu really I do," Levy started to respond. She grew nervous, almost attempting to hug herself. "but the passage on the box talks about reliving the most painful moment in your life and that was" Levy stopped, losing momentum- but her gaze briefly flicked over to a shadowy corner of the guild hall were a certain dragonslayer had stationed himself. "I don't want to relive that." Levy explained.

She didn't see, and couldn't know, but the eldest dragon slayer curled in on himself, cursing his heightened hearing which had caused him to hear her explanation. Her talking about her pain, and his part in it, even in passing, felt like a lead weight heaving in his stomach or needles in his windpipe- a feeling he had a lot around her. Guilt.

Lucy, who'd been canvasing with Natsu to find people to help open the box, walked closer to Levy and put a comforting hand on her arm. "We understand Levy, you've already helped enough with the translation- thank you."

"Guess I've gotta find someone else." Natsu conceded. He then pointed in a random direction, his index finger falling on Cana at the bar.

"Cana, help me out!"

"Sure." Cana agreed in a bored tone. "I'll get my tarot cards and give you a reading into your future right now, and you can bypass this voodoo-box." She offered.

"Noooo!" He mewled like a child. "I wanna use the box!" He was sure it would be more reliable than any reading Cana could give, even if she was somehow miraculously sober.

"Whatever." Cana said, successfully brushing Natsu off.

He stalked off to a table with Macao, Wakaba and Romeo. "You Oldies'll help me- you owe me, I've got you both out of some scrapes- don't you remember?" Natsu challenged.

"You're right Natsu- we've lived longer than you, which means we've had more time to be in pain, and we should be exempt from re-living it! So give it a rest will ya? Go find some kid who's young and nimble to help you instead." Wakaba said shooting him down.

"Then Romeo!"

"Get the hell away from my son!" Macao said putting his arm out, blocking Natsu's approach.

Natsu turned away, hands pulling at his hair in exasperation, "Gah! Then Wendy I guess!"

He pointed at the startled girl, who was still sat perched on one of the bar stools, unsure of how to respond. She didn't need to however, as Lucy slapped down the arm Natsu was pointing at her with.

"Don't you dare!" She scolded. "Wendy's been through enough, and she's new to the guild and she's just a kid!" Lucy explained outraged. On top of the bar, Wendy's exceed, Carla seemed to be having a similar rant.

"That's low, even for you Natsu- trying to trick a kid into getting traumatized." Gray said disapprovingly, in a cold tone, as he and Erza walked up to the bar.

Frustrated, Natsu argued "But Wakaba said I should get a kid!"

"It's a figure of speech lame-brain!"

"I wouldn't actually mind, Mr-Fullbuster. I want to help this guild in any way I can." Wendy voiced selflessly, in a quiet but confident voice that surprised everyone.

"Please, you've all been so kind, I want to be helpful to you all. And I can understand how much you want to see your dragon again, Mr-Dragneel." Wendy offered again, showing she was genuine. No-one knew how to react until Erza stepped forward.

"That's a very kind offer Wendy, and it shows you'll make a fine Fairy Tail wizard." She praised. "But it would be discourteous and irresponsible of us to ask this of you, when you've so recently joined the guild. Every comrade should only be asked to contribute what they can give within their own comfort."

Wendy was silently relieved that Erza had seen through her words, to her underlying hesitance. It also made her wonder however, if she was being made to miss out on some inner workings of the guild, because she was so new to it. She wanted to be considered a fully-fledged member of this guild which had done so much for her. That's why she'd offered to help with the box.

Natsu came over and ruffled Wendy's hair. "Thanks, Wendy." He said smiling. "That was cool of you. But friends call me Natsu, not Mr-Dragneel, Okay?"

"Friends?" Wendy asked, still shocked at how readily accepting this guild was being.

"Yeah, and that guy's name isn't Mr-Fullbuster either- it's Ice-Prick."

"Bite me, Natsu." Was Gray's disgruntled reply.

"Natsu," Erza started seriously, demanding his attention. "Tell me, if you required assistance why did you go running off like that just now? You should've looked to us for help first. Or have you forgotten you're a part of Fairy Tail's strongest team?" She questioned a wry smile on her face. Natsu looked to each of his teammates expectantly.

"I suppose I can do you a solid and help you out just this once." Gray offered, crossing his arms across his chest. "Plus, this box could give me a chance to practice overcoming some of my fears."

"I concur." Erza agreed, putting an arm on Gray's shoulder in solidarity. "We'll think of it as a form of training, as well as helping a friend."

"I want to help you too, Natsu." Lucy offered, honestly and openly, behind no precedent.

"Thanks, you guys. But- God Dammit there's only four of us! We need one more person!" Natsu cried in frustration.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Erza placated.

After a quick talk with Levy on how exactly to unlock the box, he learned he'd have to recite an incantation and focus his magic towards the box (which wouldn't burn, she reassured him, as it was protected by an ancient defence spell).

Placing the box on the floor and stepping back, Natsu read over the phrase Levy had written out for him. Once he knew it with confidence, he had everyone step back from the area around the box as a precaution. This got him an audience of spectators from every angle, and as he focused his flames towards the indestructible box, everyone heard him recite the words.

"Unleash unto the ether my strife, that I may know peace."

Natsu's flames were engulfed by a rushing whispering black smoke pouring out of the box, that surrounded him soon after. He didn't hear the members of the guild who shouted his name in alarm, as he was already being taken to another place. One that was very familiar to him…

 **A/N: Sooo sorry for such a late update, I've no real excuses I just hope this was worth the wait. And if not, to placate you, I've updated a second chapter after this one in penance. This Chappie is fully dedicated to reviewer 'Social6Distortion'. On the last chapter, they melted my heart with their review complimenting the story as original. Originality is golden, and I love you for boosting my confidence in this way. Sending my love to you in Austria! Addressing everyone, we're getting into the first Pandora simulation next chapter, so please read on- I like how it turned out and I think you might too despite it being angsty.**


	5. Hallowed Father

Natsu awoke looking up into the emergent tree canopy. He was lying down on his back on the forest floor, his bare feet being tickled by leaves being blown about by the breeze. He heard birds twittering within the ferns and only sat upright from his sleeping position when they stopped. When the birds grew cautious- something was happening, Natsu had lived in the forest long enough to know that.

The birdsong was then replaced by an earthy rumbling that seemed to shake the very mountain, the breeze that moved the leaves turned into a gust that swayed the trees. The sounds and winds were familiar to Natsu as the surge of a dragon's wings.

Natsu leapt up and saw him as he rose and settled in the clearing of the forested mountain top they called home.

"Igneel!" Natsu called out in excitement. "I knew you'd come home! I heard the rumbling and knew it was you right away." This wasn't unusual, and Natsu was only so excited because Igneel had returned after two days away hunting.

Igneel had caught some giant boar that he placed down on the ground from his jaws. He was about to say hello to Natsu when Natsu's stomach let out a loud growl. Natsu was hungry and got reminded of this fact by the copious amounts of boar meat that had just been placed in front of him, which had caused his stomach to rumble.

"Looks like my wings aren't the only thing rumbling the mountains." Igneel joked in his deep voice.

Natsu giggled with a childish pride and ran off to their campsite to start a fire to cook up the boar. He began animatedly telling Igneel what he'd been up to the last few days, while the dragon had been out sourcing food. Igneel was content to listen to the young Natsu as he spoke a mile a minute about practicing his dragon roar underwater in the nearby stream, practicing using his flames to propel him through the air- expertly evading the vines between the trees, and showing off how long he could keep his fire burning with no fuel.

Igneel was impressed by Natsu's feats, they were all very advanced skills. Igneel was also silently relieved that Natsu had learned so much because, unbeknownst to the boy, Igneel believed he didn't have much time left to teach him. Not knowing this, Natsu continued on boasting and laughing into the night.

After the boy and his dragon had had their fill of dinner, Natsu laid back on Igneel's back and looked up at the stars.

"What about that one?" Natsu asked, pointing up at a constellation.

"Aquarius-the water bearer."

"Water? Lame. Fire beats water!" Natsu announced with confidence.

"You're right to believe in your strength Natsu." Igneel commended. "Some people might doubt that belief and disregard it as deluded, but they forget fire can indeed defeat water and strong gusts of air – even water under enough heat becomes steam, and hot air rises."

Natsu soaked up his mentor's words, like every piece of knowledge the dragon bestowed on him- it seemed invaluable and poignant.

"You shouldn't be so quick to dismiss the waterbearer's constellation though Natsu, the stars have much magic- magic that can be harnessed by a type of wizard known as the celestial mage."

"So if I fought one of these mages, I could fight the stars?!"

"Yes, but It's better to have the stars on your side." Igneel said wisely.

Natsu seemed to mull this over for a time before he concluded. "I hope I get to meet a celestial wizard, they might not be so great at fighting if they've got a water bearer on their side (because water sucks next to fire) but I reckon they'd be able to tell good stories, because all the stars have stories behind them."

"I know a celestial mage. Her name is Anna." Igneel revealed. This surprised Natsu, because he didn't know that Igneel knew anyone but him, and Igneel was the only person he had.

"She's helping me and a few of my friends to come back together again to make a plan." Igneel revealed. Natsu didn't quite understand.

"Is this plan for, like, a fight?"

"Yes."

"Can't you do it on your own?" Natsu asked genuinely puzzled.

Igneel was taken off guard by Natsu's question. Apparently, he still had one more lesson to teach him.

"Natsu," he started seriously. "You know there is no shame in asking for help, don't you?"

Natsu was quiet, he didn't like asking for help, he liked doing things himself, he liked learning how to do something and putting his own spin on it.

"The best battle you can fight isn't a fight for yourself, it's a fight for your friends. And it's alongside your friends. You will encounter enemies you cannot defeat alone. But if you pool your strength together with people like you- strong people, with kind hearts- there is no fight you cannot win."

Natsu gapped open mouthed at the new idea, and nodded in agreement to it before thinking of a question. "But do you really need your friends' help? You're the strongest person I know Dad."

"We all have to rely on our nakama."

'Nakama'? Natsu liked that word- he'd be sure to commit it to memory. "but… If you need to visit The star wizard Anna and your friends, does that mean you need to leave?"

Igneel hesitated. "No Natsu. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, and I promise I will always be with you. Know that."

"I do." Natsu slid off his father's back and curled into his warm side, tiredness began to overtake him and he yawned as he declared, "I love you, Dad."

Igneel wore a sad smile the now drowsy closed-eyed Natsu couldn't see, as he said- "Goodnight, Son."

Natsu fell asleep warm, his belly and heart full, feeling loved and excited that in his future he might make friends he'd fight alongside.

But he awoke cold. He was alone.

He didn't panic at first. Igneel would go off sometimes to scavenge for food. He'd always said beforehand this was what he was doing but maybe he'd just forgotten this time. So Natsu didn't worry, really he didn't.

It was only half way through the second day he started looking for Igneel. Every subsequent day he expanded his search. It was twenty-seven days later he stopped looking.

Makarov found him while he was working a job in the forest. The job flier had stated a ghost was wondering aimlessly through the forest the nearby village used as its hunting grounds. The ghost was disturbing the villagers with it's wailing. It wailed for its father, waiting for his return.

When Makarov found Natsu sat alone in the rain he could understand why the villagers had assumed he was a dead boy haunting the forest. That's how Natsu looked and felt.

Those were the most painful days of his life- not due to his absence of company but due to the permanence of one immovable thought-

 _Why would he leave him?_

 _He'd promised._

 **A/N: I hope the changes between the angsty and more humorous chapters still feel genuine to everybody and not at all forced. I also hope you enjoyed the first box-experience/ analepis piece of writing in this story, even though Natsu clearly didn't. (Poor Natsu) Shout outs to xHallowedFangirlx, Tajshenay, BanRedfox (Cool Username BTW) & JGio23 who all left reviews on chapter 3, they were great little pick me ups :) And huge props to Silima-bean who's reviewed every chapter consecutively and consistently (You're the MVP, and I rain my affection down upon thee) Stay tuned to see what the guild thinks of Natsu's reaction to the box, and whether they'll stick with the plan to share out the experience or not.**


	6. Regroup and Review

Natsu spewed out smoke from the sides of his mouth, which tasted foreign to him. It was smoke from the portal, made by the box, and it tasted of brass and dust rather than the smoke he was used to from his own magic. The cloud dissipated from around him, being sucked back into its container, and he could see clearly now that he was back in the guildhall. His Guildmates ran towards his crumpled body on the floor boards.

Lucy was the first among them, and she knelt down with him and rubbed Natsu on the back as he coughed. "Try to breathe deeply." she advised, concern in her voice.

Natsu continued to cough until tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. "Natsuuu."Happy wailed placing a paw on Natsu's hand.

"I'm Okay- M'fine" Natsu managed to croak out, forcing himself to sit upright, chest heaving up and down.

Wakaba stepped forward. "Really? 'Cause, from where we were standing, it kind of looked to us like that box put you through the ringer, kid." Having caught his breath, Natsu looked more intently at his guildmates crowding around him. They all wore worried expressions, which made Natsu wonder-

"What do you mean that's 'how it looked to you'? You could see what was happening while I was in there?" Natsu asked looking towards the box confused.

Lucy placed a soft hand over the guildmark on Natsu's shoulder. He looked at her as she explained- the same smoke that had engulfed him into the box and spat him back out again, had floated around the guildhall while he'd been inside. It had changed colour and formed a loose picture in the smoke of what was happening inside. She explained that it was temperamental however and seemed like more of a montage of what Natsu had gone through. But yes, the guild had seen him relive what he'd suffered and, she stressed they could do nothing to help him. That's what had left Lucy and much of the rest of the guild feeling powerless on Natsu's behalf.

"It felt like a montage to you guys?" Natsu questioned, perplexed after the explanation. "It felt to me like I was back in there for thirty days again, going through it exactly how it'd happened the first time… without Igneel."

"Natsu," Lucy breathed out, fearful that it'd felt so real for the dragon slayer.

Levy walked to stand nearby Lucy. "There must be a kind of pocket dimension within the box where time runs slower. I've read about time affecting the requip and celestial spirit dimensions at a different rate than ours- this has to be a similar case." Levy theorised aloud, caution in her voice considering just how much magic a spell like that would require.

"No man should have to relive weeks of isolation- especially no child, that's unmanly." Elfman professed solemnly. People voiced their agreement in the crowd around Elfman, starting to wonder whether this whole scenario was safe.

Natsu stood up defiantly however, "It was worth it!" He proclaimed, silencing the concerned murmurings in the guildhall. "If it shows me my future happiness and means I get to see me and Igneel together again, I'd relive it another four times over, a hundred times!"

"Natsu," Lucy breathed out, marvelling at her team-mate's determination. It really did mean so much to him.

Dressing down Natsu's dramatics however Gray pushed through to the front of the crowd saying, "Pipe down flame brain no-one's asking you to be so loud, we already said we'd take the other slots inside the box for you."

"Maybe you shouldn't though," Levy cautioned, eyes wide. "If perceptions of time are distorted by the box it could be that your perceptions of reality, or sensations, or pain are too. There's too much the translation didn't tell me, it might be too risky to continue." Levy warned.

"Levy," Erza started, "We can understand your concern but we're Fairy Tail Wizards, and with that title we must commit to seeing our promises through to their completion, especially when that task is to help a friend." Erza gave Natsu a poignant look.

"Couldn't agree more." Gray said, a cocky smile on his face. "Which is why I'm up for round two."

Juvia who'd been hiding behind a pillar and hovering around in the periphery since Erza and Gray's return now stepped out of her hiding place, intrigued at a chance to see into her beloved's elusive past. She'd kept her declarations of love rather rare recently, despite wanting to profess them every minute of every day. This was because she and Gajeel were still tentative members of Fairy Tail after the tower of heaven incident and fantasia, so she was as it were, trying to keep her head down.

While Levy was explaining to Gray what he'd need to do to enter the box, Juvia wondered over to Gajeel who sat aside seemingly disinterested in what was happening.

"They seem very ready to help one another in this guild, don't they Gajeel-kun? My beloved is helping his friend, out of the kindness of his endless heart!" Juvia praised.

"Pretty sure those two can't stand each other." Gajeel said breaking down her delusion.

Juvia considered her churlish friend for a moment, something in his eyes seemed strangely sad where she'd usually expect to see frustration instead.

"Was Natsu's final interaction with his dragon anything like yours and Metalicanna's?" Juvia theorised aloud.

"Only in that he was there one minute and gone the next." Gajeel explained. "The difference is, I was glad to see him go, and I ain't the type to mope about in a barren forest for a month or follow a pipe-dream chasing the mere thought of somebody- and it was somebody who left him no less. Pathetic."

Juvia figured there had to be better reasoning for why Gajeel felt this way, and why he refused to see the guildmates helping Natsu as a positive, but she didn't push.

"Only one with any sense is the Shrimp," Gajeel mumbled "She's told everyone the risks and they still insist on carrying on anyway."

The statement surprised Juvia, who followed Gajeel's eyeline to where Levy was instructing her beloved on the risks of opening the box. Juvia cast aside her usual assumptions that Levy must be a love rival, to instead consider why, of all people, Gajeel had been the one to pay attention to this. She hadn't had long to think on this before Gray announced-

"Right, stand back. I'm ready."

From the other side of the guildhall, Juvia called out to Gray. "Good Luck my Beloved." Besides her Gajeel groaned.

Gray shot a stream of ice in an attack towards the box as he proclaimed, "Release unto the ether my strife, that I may know peace." And, on cue, the spiralling black smoke poured out and danced through the ice stream to claim him.

 **A/N: Hiya everyone, this chapter is kind of a plateau into the next flashback, which will obviously be Gray next chapter, but I still hope you enjoyed it. I'm extending my thanks to xHallowedFangirlx and silima-bean (once again UwU) who left reviews on the last chapter which really made me smile. Also, I hope everyone had a pleasant Christmas and new year.**

 **Please Review this chappie and maybe even leave a guess as to what you think Gray's memory will be about.**


	7. Belly Of The Beast

It'd started as only a rumour, but as anyone will tell you- word of mouth can be a powerful thing. Sat next to the fireplace in the tavern, Lyon and He had been fighting about who was stronger, each making their case in turn that they were the superior fighter, while their master had gone to order them food. The two boys had started to raise their voices, but Gray suddenly broke off his end of the conversation. He'd stopped to better listen in on a conversation happening between two men a few tables over.

"That's right, Deliora- just along the mountain, they saw him near Brago I'm told."

The man's companion was sceptical, however. "That's got to be a ploy! Demons don't just appear. It's probably just the word of some old coot who wondered into a snowstorm, a bear or something." He dismissed.

"I'd treat this more seriously if I were you, there's enough truth in the claim that they evacuated the village, and Brago's not too far from here, we ought to watch ourselves." The first man warned ominously.

"Gray?" Lyon questioned, but this verbal prompt from Lyon didn't rip Gray from his thoughts either. Gray looked into the fireplace and considered what he'd just heard. His mind was far away.

A memory formed.

Rubble that used to be his house littered the snowy landscape. The house had been levelled and due to the falling snow, it would, in a few hours, be completely buried. Along with his parents.

He'd found his mother and she'd not been in one piece, she'd stained the snow a strawberry red. Gray's only comfort had been he'd found her with her eyes closed. Seeing that, he could almost pretend she was at rest. But how could anybody be, after being brutalised in such a way?

And what had he done but look on at the hulking monster as it fought against his father, who'd tried so hard to defend them? His father was riddled with slashes from the demon's claws and thrown fifty feet from where their house had stood.

That's what really destroyed Gray, his parents had died so far apart, and due to the reduced visibility in the snow, they likely hadn't seen one another in their final moments. So in the aftermath, while Gray didn't bury his parents (knowing the compacted snow would do it before he'd ever even dig down to the frozen solid ground) he did heave his father's body over to rest by his mother's. He took breaks to cry, but he saw to it that they would be reunited where they lay in the end.

Gray felt a survivor's guilt most certainly, but the true reason for his tears, that rolled down his cheeks and fell to melt the snow, was that in the wake of the demon's attack, it wasn't his parents final words or actions he remembered most vividly- it was the retreating creature's form and the name his father had called it:

Deliora.

Upon Master Ur's return to the table, focused, Gray had stated the name and his intentions of hunting down this demon in the village of Brago. Lyon was surprised, but Ur recognised these intentions as what they were: vengeful and ruinous. Encapsulated in Gray's plan was a timid fruition of darkness, one (as his sensei) she had a duty to stop- so she forbade him. Which wasn't well-received.

"I don't care what you say, I'll make the hike myself. I'm using my ice magic to kill it once for all, so no-one else will-" Images of corpses flashed into his mind. Shaking his head to diffuse the images he continued, "If Deliora kills me too it'll be your fault for not teaching me stronger ice-make magic." He threatened Ur.

"This isn't the way Gray, stop acting like a little kid and let's go home. You're smart enough to know your limitations." Ur scolded. She wanted to usher Gray back over to the fireplace, seeing him shaking (in what she thought was the remanence of an aversion to the cold, but was really a contained fury).

He'd reached the end of his tether at that, and went off on a frenzy of swearing, damning phrases towards the teacher, to whom he owed everything. Even after she threatened him with expulsion, Gray still walked out on the two only living people he cared for. Leaving the tavern, he entered the snowstorm.

The hike to Brago itself was laborious and hard to navigate in the sleet-like snow storm- he'd gotten lost a few times. Perhaps that was why Gray's peer and teacher caught up with him so soon after he started fighting the demon.

'Fighting' would've been a generous analysis too, before Ur showed up it's more that the huge lumbering beast was tormenting her student rather than fighting him. A 'fight' would imply Gary had any semblance of a chance of measuring up to such a monster.

After being punched in the abdomen to the point where his ribs bruised and he was flung into a nearby solid snow shelf, Gray realised he was horribly outmatched and likely to die having not avenged his parents. He only just missed a slash of the beast's claw that would've decapitated him. He simultaneously leaned back and ducked so the laceration was reduced to a thin cut in the hairline on his forehead. He felt blood drip from the thin slash, down the side of his face.

Ur fired off a defensive spell just as Gray experienced his close brush with death. This sent the demon back and instead, dodging, Deliora hit Lyon who was rendered unconscious. Cautious, the monster opened its jaws and growled out a visible breath, as moisture froze in the air around him. This breathing wasn't laboured though, and the demon wasn't at all tired. Its energy would certainly outlast the already-spent-wizards challenging him.

Ur realised this early on. Outmatched- their defeat was certain, unless she used _that_.

Gray liked to think that Ur thought about what kind of message it would send to her students before she committed to performing the spell. She knew it would teach them self-sacrifice over selfishness, she knew it would revere ice magic in their hearts forevermore, she knew it would chase away Gray's darkness, and it would keep both of her young disciples alive. She'd made her decision.

Taking a wide stance and crossing her arms, she announced, "Iced shell."

Gray could only watch on, helpless as Deliora claimed another life. His master, turned to ice in front of him, voicing her pride in him when he'd been the one to lead her there. It filled him with a poison and manic guilt. Gray was incapable of begging her to stay with him and Lyon like he'd wanted to, not when he'd been the one to force her hand to such extremes. He'd led her there! He had. Led her to her death!

He looked over to an unconscious Lyon. Gray knew he had a burning desire to surpass Ur, that would be shattered with her gone. But so much more than that would be left in the void she'd filled for the two boys. And, with her gone, what could they fill that void with but tears? In a frozen wasteland like this, those tears would freeze and blend in with the ice. Ice she'd became.

Not knowing how else to be with her then, other than this, Gray cried. Sat beneath a holy terror cast in never-thawing ice, he shed tears until he was changed. Normalcy was destroyed and Gray knew he'd been the one to kill it. He'd destroyed Lyon's dream of surpassing their teacher and he'd destroyed their teacher also. Things could never go back to the way they had been. There'd be no more training together as teacher and students, laughing together, eating good meals, telling stories, being rivals- none of that. Gray would never have that again, he thought.

After Lyon awoke some minutes later and learned of his master's fate, the boys decided mutually to part ways.

And so, for a second time the demon Deliora devastated Gray's family beyond repair. Only, this time, Gray knew he'd played a part in it too.

Who was he kidding? He'd done more than play a part. He was the bringer of misfortune. The instigator of this tragedy. People had been killed.

And he couldn't help but feel that he'd been the one to kill them.

 **A/N: Poor Gray, I can see him blaming himself for what's happened in his past, even though it's completely undeserved. Well done to the guys who reviewed and guessed what Gray's memory would be. Half of you said it'd be Deliora's first appearance attacking Gray's village, half said it'd be Ur's death so instead I made it both with some dream within a dream inception-level tomfoolery. Hope it wasn't too hard to follow, let me know. Next instalment should be soon.**


	8. Truth will out

Gray had expected to wake up on the hard floorboards of the guildhall, but instead he awoke with his head resting in a warm lap, long fingers running through his hair in a soothing manner. Surrounding him, there was a small crowd wearing sombre expressions, but most of the guild members seemed to have left. Shifting, Gray saw the lap he was resting in was owned by one Juvia lockser. He'd have been alarmed if it weren't for the tender expression on her face and tears in her eyes in place of her usual overzealous disposition. Feeling him shift, Juvia must have realised her beloved was waking up.

"Gray-sama, try not to move too fast." She advised in a watery voice.

Ignoring her words and the strain in his head which made him want to stay put in Juvia's warm arms Gray pushed himself up into an independent sitting position. Clutching his pounding head, he asked, "Where is everyone?"

"Outside mostly, they wanted to give you some privacy." A concerned looking Mirajane explained.

"Privacy?" Gray asked, confused.

"It's an excuse." Cana announced, a conflicted expression marring her features. "They were uncomfortable with what they were seeing you go through."

Gray realised the guild had been able to see what had happened to him in the box- he remembered the smoke from Natsu's turn. They would've seen him failing to avenge his parents, they would've watched him remember his parents' deaths. It had been graphic and harrowing, and he'd given them no warning, no wonder they'd left.

Mirajane explained the mass exodus started with a tearful Wendy running out of the guildhall, upon seeing what happened to Gray's parents. Erza had followed her out to try and console her. Macao had chaperoned young Romeo out too, and others had followed.

Gray looked at who was left in the guildhall, surrounding him. These will've been the people who saw the full extent of his memory. It was mostly people he'd been friends with from a very young age at the guild: Cana, Mira, Levy, Natsu. Some newer additions to the guild had stuck around too. Lucy was standing by Natsu's side and Gajeel was a couple tables away (but a few tables closer to the group than he had been), sitting upright and alert. And Juvia. Juvia had stayed in the hall too. She was the closest to his side and the expression on her face could only be described as utter torment.

"Sorry I dampened the mood." Gray drolled. But Cana wasn't having any of it.

"Gray, I've known you for eight years. How have you never spoken to us about how your parents died?" She asked accusingly.

"I never spoke about it, to anyone. Master knew about how I came to be here, that was all." Gray clarified. This wasn't entirely true as the fellow members of his strongest Team had gained some insight into his past during their quest to Galluna Island- but he'd never had a conversation about what'd happened directly, he hadn't ever wanted to. He didn't want to now either, he hated the way he saw the words effect Juvia who, in his periphery let out a little tearful noise.

"Why did you never talk to us about it?!" Natsu demanded.

Gray thought about it before answering. "I hadn't made peace with what happened. It was my fault. I didn't want to have to explain that to anyone."

Juvia gasped as she heard Gray place blame onto himself. "Gray-sama…"

"I agreed to using this box because I knew what I'd see. If it was going to simulate my most painful memories, it really couldn't have been anything other than their deaths. A part of me wanted to go back and experience it again so I could lay them to rest. I knew I couldn't neglect doing that forever, I had to make peace with it or run the risk of someone finding out about it and using it against me in a fight." He explained.

"That and… this whole look into the future seems pretty important to Natsu, and I didn't want to get in his way of achieving it." Gray explained sheepishly his reasoning, not making eye contact with his friend and rambunctious rival.

"But, I had a good idea what you were all going to see if I went in there, I should've at least given you some warning." Gray thought aloud, feeling guilty about the stress he'd apparently caused some of his guildmates.

"If anyone should've done anything, we should've checked and double checked with you first whether you were comfortable with all this Gray." Lucy said, the group around her appeared to agree, scolding themselves.

"My answer would've been the same." Gray explained. "I didn't want that memory to burden me any longer."

"But the risk to you was still there." Levy butted in, seeming distressed. "Someone with a weaker resolve wouldn't've been able to relive what you went through."

She confessed, "I can't predict anything this box does. In your case you just experienced a memory within another memory- that's strong magic! Magic that I could never hope to reverse engineer with runes from the outside. Anyone who goes in there is completely prey to their past experiences. This is more than just parlour tricks, this is continuing to exist in a different space, completely cut off- in a place where we can't help you." Levy warned, real fear in her eyes.

A tense silence fell over the group until Gajeel who'd, until that point, been quiet, said, "Then maybe this whole thing should be shut down." Gajeel proposed the idea, feeling like it had been what Levy had been shooting at from the beginning, but had been too timid to say.

Mira was just about to open her mouth to agree when from the main doors of the guild-

"No."

The group around Gray turned to look at a flood of people pouring back into the guildhall, led by one Erza Scarlet.

"Gray is right." Erza said, authoritatively. "this box, affecting us the way it does can help us become stronger. By using it, we can make peace with ourselves, we can help a friend, we can learn how to better cope with the pain within ourselves and most importantly we, as a guild, can better understand our comrades." Erza declared.

She explained, "I've spoken to the people outside already, they were adversely effected by seeing your memory Gray, but they want to express their support, if ever you need to talk about what you've been through, as a guild, we are all behind you."

Gray just stood and looked at his shoes, he nodded, not able to vocalise his thanks.

"We're all behind Natsu too, which is why we'll see through using this box to the end!" Erza declared triumphantly, which arose a cheer from the guild who drowned out Levy expressing her concerns.

"And I'll be the next to use Pandora's box!" Erza declared, getting ready to do just that. "But before I do, get yourself a drink Gray, you've earned it." She instructed. And Gray couldn't help thinking to himself, that she was right about that. So Gray walked off in the direction of the bar, Juvia trailing along behind him.

 **A/N: I'm not dead, sorry I haven't updated. I feel bad, so I've updated two consecutive chapters to make up for my tardiness, hope you enjoy. It's kind of good actually because these two chapters link into each other pretty closely. My continuity regarding chapter length is all out of wack though *sighs***

 **Huge shoutouts to reviewers on my last chapter BanRedfox, IPromiseImNotATotalDweeb (I'm sure you're not, lol), NerdMomDM, And XHallowedFangirlX (Thanks for your nice comments and for theorising about the events of future chapters- it makes me really thrilled x)**


	9. New-found Understanding

"And whatever you do, do not slur the words. Pronounce them exactly as I've said them, while directing your magic at the box, that's the mechanism. 'Release unto the Ether my Strife that I may know Peace.' E-nun ci-ate. Do you understand?" Levy's tone was blunt and overly cautious. Her stomach was doing flips which only encouraged her stern instruction.

"I understand." Erza said with conviction. "I'll take a moment before saying the incantation." she decreed: "I'm going quickly to check up on Wendy and Gray." pointing to the bar before walking off in that direction.

"Don't put it off for too long!" Levy called after her, "Do it soon, while my instructions are still clear in your mind." But Erza was already gone.

Levy let herself close her eyes and let out a frustrated little sigh. She didn't notice the figure come up behind her until she'd opened her eyes again. She whisked around and was caught off guard when she was face to face with-

"Gajeel?" she asked in surprise. He had a hard and angry looking expression on his face and, staring her down, he made her feel uneasy.

Levy had largely gotten past her encounter with Gajeel from when he'd been in Phantom Lord. But the beat down he'd delivered to her and her teammates back when they were enemies, naturally meant she was a little guarded around the man.

Only, since he'd joined the guild levy had seen Gajeel defend Fairy Tail with unwavering surety. And although he kept up the image that he wanted to be left to himself, Levy found it hard to believe. She couldn't understand how somebody could fight so hard to protect something without wanting to be integrated into it. Or _did_ he want to be integrated into the guild? Did he want to believe in things like comrades and Nakama and being able to share the burden of hardships? Maybe he just didn't know how to go about it. Maybe he'd thought he'd find connections like that in Phantom lord back then and had been let down? Or maybe he'd believed the best in people too many times and the weight of disappointment had made him guarded and cold.

Levy knew very little about him, but something about their shared history, made her want to figure him out. She wanted an insight into his changing motivations. He was complicated and, she thought, mysterious- being as inquisitive as she was naturally, he intrigued her. But right now, in the tense silence while she'd been thinking and neither of them had spoken, he didn't seem complicated, he just seemed angry.

In hopes of calming him down, or finding out why he looked so cross, Levy asked, "What's wrong?"

After a pause he said, "They don't listen to you." He jutted his head towards the bar where most of Natsu's team was now gathered.

The statement irritated Levy for some reason. "I'll have you know they hold my opinion in a very high regard." She defended.

"But they aren't listening to it. How many times have you told them now that carrying on and using this box is a bad idea? They're still gonna go through with it no matter what you say, at this rate."

"What's your point?" She asked, irate.

"You've gotta be more assertive shrimp." The statement caught her off guard.

"I'm not going to tell them to stop, not when this means so much to Natsu. It's important to him to know if he'll ever see his father again." She explained

"Tch, Hell knows why."Gajeel dismissed, sneering.

"Because Igneel matters to him, that's why." Levy thought this was painfully obvious from what they'd both seen in the smoke.

"And why's that? We just watched the dragon leave him, ready to never come back, why should he care if he never sees him again?" Gajeel asked, and it made Levy remember Gajeel's dragon had disappeared too. She deduced that Gajeel must be projecting his feelings about Metalicana onto Natsu's feeling about Igneel. But surely, he understood those weren't the same.

"That might've been what you saw," Levy started. "but what I saw, was a boy and his father looking up at the stars sharing stories." She seemed to have caught Gajeel off guard. His eyes softened, Levy continued-

"People experience things differently, they have different motivations, and some people are more willing to take risks than others. Just because I don't completely understand my friend's drive to use this box doesn't mean I have the right to stop them. But if I can help, and help keep people safe, I have to." The speech was followed again by silence from both mages.

Without announcement, Gajeel turned away, seemingly to walk back into his shadowy corner of the guild. Levy thought he'd walk away in silence, so she was surprised when he said under his breath, "You don't have to help, you want to. That makes you good." And with that he was gone.

Walking off, Gajeel skirted the bar where Erza, Gray, Juvia and Wendy were talking.

"So I'm really sorry I ran off out of the guild like I did, Gray, I wanted to stay to support you, but I just got so upset at seeing people hurt in your memory who I couldn't help." Wendy apologized, eyes downcast, wringing her hands together.

Erza put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "As a healer it makes sense you'd want to help, but what you saw happened a long time ago, you shouldn't feel guilty Wendy. Right Gray?" Erza asked.

"Right, it's like Levy said you can't help us when we're in there, so you don't have to feel guilty." After some thought, realising this might actually heighten Wendy's worries, he continued, "Besides it's just a simulation in there anyway, my parents could get hurt in my memory, but I couldn't- think of it like a dream. If you're hurt in a dream it doesn't matter because as soon as you wake up, you'll be fine."

"Right," Wendy said more confidently "I'll try not to worry, you're all really strong in Fairy Tail, so I'll be strong too and be brave about this." She said, smile on her face, grasping her hands into sure little fists.

Gray chuckled and ruffled Wendy's hair assuring her, Juvia gave her a kind smile from where she was perched daintily next to him on a stool. Wendy's response seemed to invigorate Erza the most however who stood up at the remark from Wendy, saying, "And with that spirit, I'm going to brave the box now, wish me luck." And her three guildmates did, as she turned away back to Levy to take on her new task.

Gray fully intended to watch Erza as she activated the box but he turned away to reach over the bar and grab his drink first. It was then that a stiff hand caught his and hindered his plan. It was Juvia's hand and she was staring at hm with wide anxious eyes.

"Hey, wha-?" He started to object.

"Gray, my love- You're bleeding." She announced. A soft hand reached up into the top of Gray's hairline on his forehead, Juvia's long fingers gently touched a scratch there, which was largely hidden by his hair, she must've been looking at him very closely to spot it. It was a superficial cut at best but still, her mind seemed to ask the same question his did as she retracted her hand from his face.

"When did that happen?" She asked, puzzled.

"I don't remember, I don't know when it could've happened between now and getting out of-" Gray's words died away on his lips. He grappled desperately in his memory for a moment where he might've fallen and hit his head since he'd left the smoke, but none came to mind.

What _was_ in his mind was the instance of one of Deliora's claws barely missing him and scratching him finely across his head, in the attack over a decade ago. The attack he'd relived today in the box.

That cut on his forehead had long healed, until today.

And now that he thought about it his ribs were sore from where he'd been thrown against the ice shelf in the fight too. But it couldn't be, that would mean-

He thought back, a panic rising in his chest.

" _it might be too risky to continue"_

" _you'd have to be in a lot of pain"_

" _Anyone who goes in there is completely prey to their past experiences"_

" _completely cut off- in a place where we can't help you"_

And to think that he'd claimed- " _If you're hurt in a dream it doesn't matter because as soon as you wake up, you'll be fine."_

How wrong he'd been.

The truth hit him like a bullet. Not only could someone's mind be put through the ringer by that box, you could sustain lasting psychical injuries using it too. And now-

Gray was broken out of his trance when from the front of the guild he heard-

"Release unto the Ether my strife that I may know peace."

"Erza no!" he shouted out, and like a reflex he was running off his bar stool across the guild, but clearly, he wasn't heard.

When Erza's blade struck the box, smoke poured out of it to claim her. Gray waded through it until it dispersed and Erza was gone, now he stood next to Levy panting.

"Gray what's wrong?" She asked Panicked-looking. Gray looked around realising his outburst had gained an audience of similarly worried faces.

Her turned back to Levy saying, "We should've listened, you were right."

Levy couldn't help but cover her agape mouth with her hand, dreading what would follow. And before Gray began to explain what he'd discovered- he made sure Wendy was close, and ready, on standby, to use her healing magic.

It would be needed.

 **AN: Sorry to leave you on a cliff-hanger (again hehe) but I felt it suited the level of tension through this chapter. We get into Erza's chapter next, leave your guess for what you think will be the memory she has to re-experience. Whatever it is, let's hope our girl suffers no injuries. And please let me know what you think of this development (That they can get hurt in their memories) I hope you guys like it and/or were surprised.**


	10. Girl Of Feeling

**AN: Trigger warning for descriptions of violence and torture.**

As well as the presence of magic-rich etherion crystals, rocks in the tower of heaven were special. The prison walls had a marble quality to them, and the stone formed in dense sheets which were hard to penetrate, even with metal tools. But when it rained, the stone became crumbly, and it released a heavenly smell.

While in the tower's labour camp as a slave, Erza found herself longing for rain. Rain would mean the nicer scent would be released- nicer at least than the stench of grime and the sweaty crowds. And the rain allowed Erza to cool off while working long hours, witling into the stone, instead of being under the brazen unforgiving heat of the high sun.

Recently though, Erza didn't want it to rain, which she explained to her friends-

"If it rains, the tunnel we're excavating will flood and we won't be able to use it to escape." She whispered harshly, wringing her blistered hands through her dirty tunic.

She was surrounded by her intent friends who processed this information. Little Sho and Angel looked almost sick with worry that they might not be able to escape. The hard lines of Wally's face seemed to become even more pronounced in his concern and Miliana's cat ears were visibly drooped, and her tail spasmed about behind her erratically.

Simon stood to Erza's left and appeared stoic but really the new possibility was causing him anxiety as well. Not a single other person had thought to consider this. The only one who appeared unshaken, who Erza could always rely on to be so, was Jellal, standing tall above the rest of them.

He walked up to Erza and put a comforting hand upon her shoulder, furthest away from Simon- who bristled at the action.

"But the tunnel entrance is hidden by crates and full of sandbags which would soak up any water, you don't have to worry Erza." Jellal reassured, his voice soft and comforting, Erza blushed up at him, staring deeply into the pools of his eyes.

"If it's all the same to you I think we ought to check to make sure." Simon interjected, disbelievingly, starting to walk over to the secret site where the group of children had started digging to their freedom.

Sho, Wally, Angel and Miliana followed closely behind the three more natural leaders. They knew the route off by heart though, as it was the timid Sho- the youngest amongst them- who'd found the site to start digging. He'd located a wall where they could dig to the outside of the tower, where they could then commandeer a boat to flee, which was their escape plan. The four bubbled with fraught nerves at the prospect of being found out trying to run, or their dreams for getting out of this hell hole being interrupted.

Erza was nervous too, but she felt that melting away when the hand against her shoulder glided down to confidently clutch her hand in his. Erza's attention averted into Jellal's honest eyes. "It'll be alright, Erza." He said with pure belief, Heat rose to Erza's cheeks, because he was so close and so candid. She believed him too.

Upon reaching the tunnel, everything seemed normal. Just as Jellal had said the sand bags were positioned so that any rain wouldn't interrupt their progress. And it was progress the young children were anxious to see.

Miliania and Angel bounced on the balls of their feet asking to see how deep the tunnel now went. And accommodatingly Simon and Erza moved the crates so the girls could get a better view.

But then one of the brutish, seething slaver guards turned the corner.

"What's this?! You kids there, you're trying to escape! Whose idea was this?" The full-grown man demanded, his bulking figure and belligerent baritone making the children shudder in fear.

"Well?!" he demanded in a harsher tone. Erza flinched, but she was ready to speak up, to own up if it meant Sho wouldn't be punished, that none of the others would be blamed, but-

Stepping forward, Jellal announced "It was mine. My idea and mine alone." Again, he was unshaken, always unshaken. Erza spectated the ease of Jellal's bravery with awe. What she'd been ready to speak, but had been too afraid to proclaim, had flooded out of Jellal with a burst levee of sincerity. Too caught up in the conviction in Jellal's eyes she missed the towering guard move to strike a blow on his face.

"Jellal!" Wade and Erza cried out in unison, but only Erza moved to help him. She was stopped by Simon pulling her back, cradling her away from him. The force of the blow caused Jellal to crumple at the guard's sandaled feet. He coughed on the floor.

"You little runt!" The slaver shouted, pulling Jellal up slightly by the locks of his hair. "You best tell me whose idea this was or so help me God! I know it wasn't you, you're just trying to take the rap, so you best come down off your moral ivory tower and tell me the truth."

Jellal used his strength to raise his head. He sent a chilling glare at the man threatening him and smiled through his now bleeding lip to defiantly say- "Only person who wants a tower here is you, you're just forcing us to build it for you."

This was enough to visibly anger the R-system official who twitched as he threw the boy down. Growling curses at the act of defiance, the man delivered blows, kicking Jellal while he was down.

Erza couldn't look away no matter how much Simon tried to shield her from the violent display. She watched as Jellal's body jolted and hiccuped after every beat. One after another, until-

"It was me! It was my idea! Stop hitting him! Stop it!" Erza shouted, with an aggressive tone. The guard looked differently at her then, her gritted teeth and conviction caused him to pause. He believed her in a way he hadn't believed Jellal. She seemed like the instigator of the operation; she had a fierce look in her eye. One that needed extinguishing.

Walking with a predatory gait he approached Erza, who stepped forward out of Simon's hold. The guard moved his spear to rest in his other hand, he lent down up close and personal to Erza trying to locate any sense that she was lying. She kept her gaze locked onto his, until he reached out and softly palmed a lock of her hair by her cheek. It was then that she tugged away, shuddering. This seemed to be the proof he needed.

"You're coming with me little girl, the higher ups are gonna make an example of you!" he grabbed her wrist harshly, pulling her by his fingernails, forcing her to run behind him for every one of his steps, lest she trip.

Erza vaguely heard her friends all shouting out and pleading on her behalf as she was dragged away. But what broke her heart was the mumbled objection she heard come from Jellal as the guard forced her to step over his battered body.

He'd said, "Erza-" and the usual encouragement she'd grown to expect didn't follow.

After leaving the excavation site, traversing the blackened corridors passed quickly. The guard transporting her was stopped and swapped for another. Then she was mechanically and dispassionately moved along. As they marched, she vaguely recalled the ceilings getting higher, the hallways getting narrower the furnishings getting more ornate. The new guard spoke no words to her, and then she was tied up with rustic restraints in some kind of hall. It was dark. She was left there and listened to the rain hitting the windows echoing around the cold room. She remembered, or maybe imagined, that she'd wished for rain at one point, or maybe dreaded it. She didn't see how it mattered now. Nothing mattered now.

And even less mattered when the torturer came to see her. Her asked no questions and didn't know if she was culpable of any crime. It didn't matter. Nothing Mattered.

At first, she suffered similar treatment to Jellal but then he skewered her eye, with a brazen hot poker. She screamed and heard it slurp and pop out of her head, before fainting from the gushing blood painting tribal streams of blood down her cheekbones.

Maybe lost blood caused her to fuse events from then on, or confuse her mind regarding how long she stayed there but she wallowed in the same mindset until-

"Erza?" A panicked voice asked, stronger than when she'd last heard it. Jellal, who'd clearly come on a rescue attempt, lifted her chin, his eyes manic as he took in the eyepatch over her eye.

She became more aware that he was in front of her. She'd heard him say her name, but that didn't matter either, not if it wasn't accompanied with the soft soothing reassurances she needed. She'd heard him say her name battered in the dirt. And she'd screamed his in the midst of agony, but it meant nothing if they couldn't really help one another, if there was really no escape. Only-

"It's gonna be alright, I'm getting you out of here." He reassured.

And then suddenly life mattered again, he'd made it so, and Erza allowed herself to cry out of her singular eye.

But more pain for her followed.

Jellal stayed behind taking her place and he suffered in a way she didn't understand, the 'essence of Zeref' was in him he'd said. She'd find out about how that changed him later. She'd tried to liberate the slaves after Old man Rob died, he'd laid down his life and awakened her magic and, in his honour,, she'd led a revolution.

Still her eye socket, her head, ached with inconceivable agony, and it led her to becoming so delirious that she couldn't recall what she'd fabricated and what had been true about what Jellal had said after she'd returned to him. He'd denied her help and strayed down an evil path without remorse, he'd been corrupted. But her aching head, her burning eye had told her he'd reassured her. In the trauma of it all that's what her pain reminded her. He'd been kind, taken _her_ hand, said _her_ name.

He'd cast her out and kept the slaves. Kept her friends. She'd washed up on a beach having commandeered a boat (as was her and her friends' plan), but none of her friends were with her. She was a traitor in their minds, a villain in their eyes. She was deserving of all the pain she'd endured in their opinion surely.

Her friends were all lost and that mattered to her now, she wasn't numb anymore like she had been after her torture. After she'd lost her eye she'd been desensitised, nothing had mattered. Now everything mattered.

Jellal had been her comfort and then he'd taken that comfort away. He'd ruined her, and now she felt the guilt of it fully, completely, she could no longer just be cold.

She washed up onto the beach like a note in a bottle- an incantation, a piece of time. Erza collapsed onto her knees feeling it all, the weight of everything and gutturally she'd screamed out all of her anguish.

And from one eye she cried, and the other she bled.

 **AN: Sorry That I've been so negligent of this story (I ran out of pre-written chapters a while back and then life got terribly busy). Thank you though for everyone who reviewed trying to coax me back into it, and I hope you enjoyed this terribly angsty chapter, I felt so bad describing these things happening to Erza. Shoutouts to biscoiju, Wrylin, xHallowedFangirlX and Silima-Bean I love you all! Please tell me what you think, I'll try to be quicker with the next update.**


End file.
